SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The burden felt by indigent families should a family member dies gets somehow alleviated by the free casket made available for free by the local government unit of San Jose, the capital town of Antique, through its mortuary project.
The mortuary project, which started in 2017, has so far helped some 141 poor residents of this municipality.
Under the project, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) issues an Indigency Certificate to a recipient which will be presented to the caretaker of the local government unit (LGU) Mortuary in Barangay Marina for them to avail of a coffin.
Luther Vicedo, caretaker of the mortuary, said recipient families always appreciated the help they get from the LGU.
“We have one case here of a victim of a stabbing incident who was not embalmed for several days in a private mortuary because of the family’s lack of money so his body became bloated,” he said in an interview Monday, adding that the family was relieved after availing of the free coffin.
Without the project, indigent families would be forced to buy or obtain a coffin from private funeral parlors for their departed loved ones for a minimum rate of PHP25,000 to PHP30,000.
“Private funeral parlors would usually ask for half of the total amount for the coffin if the family would buy it on installment basis,” he said.
Vicedo said since the LGU of San Jose de Buenavista provides free coffin, then families will just shoulder the cost of embalming, which amounts to another PHP10,000 in private funeral homes.
“The LGU providing free casket is already a big help for indigent families,” Vicedo said.
An adult standard size casket, 21 x 72 inches provided by the LGU, is made of wood painted with white and has half crystal on top for viewing. It also has a wooden handle. This costs around PHP3,000-PHP3,500.
“Making a casket is also intricate,” Vicedo said.
He said he and his helper Vicente Viscaya could finish making a coffin in three days. Coffins for babies and children are made available upon request.
There are around two to seven coffins being requested from the mortuary per week, Vicera said.
San Jose de Buenavista Mayor Elmer Untaran said this year, they have appropriated PHP500,000 for the mortuary project.
“I saw the need to provide free caskets for the indigents just to alleviate somehow their financial burden,”Untaran said.
Meanwhile, San Jose Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Officer (MEEDO) Darcy Bungay said indigents who could not afford to buy a cemetery lot are provided a space in the LGU apartelle type niche in the municipal cemetery that they can occupy for the next seven years.
“We accommodate requests from the very poor families, so they could be helped out,” he said.
He said a cemetery lot costs PHP10,000. So, the additional 500 niches that were constructed last year in addition to the 3,000 existing niches provided much relief to the bereaved families.
“We have already prepared the cemetery so hopefully there would be a solemn observance of the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2,” Bungay added.
Meanwhile, he added that last week, the Task Force Undas composed of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Municipal Health Office and MEEDO have already convened in preparation for the two-day observance.
“The MEEDO is in charge of the physical arrangement like the tent for the mass on All Souls’ Day,” he added. (Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA)
